Clare Waight Keller
The designer and former artistic director of Chloé and Givenchy shares the secrets of her elegant existence
My style signature is…
trousers from my own era at Chloé, or vintage jeans from Santa Fe, worn with a cashmere knit – I have a lot of Uniqlo in my wardrobe, and also Johnstons of Elgin. In the summer, I wear men’s shirts from Turnbull & Asser or Charvet, which are so elegant but less expensive than designer women’s shirts. Homme Girls does lovely reworked men’s jackets for women.
My best fashion investment is…
a Chloé collarless blazer with a small darted shoulder and extra-long sleeves in black gabardine, from the A/W 15 show. It’s my signature piece.
If I had five minutes to get ready, I’ d throw on..
. a knit dress, a trench-coat – I just created two for Uniqlo : C – and my Onitsuka Tiger trainers.
My favourite website is…
Airbnb. I love shopping for mad holiday houses in random places.
I put them in a bucket list and work through them.
My room ser vice order is…
a cheese omelette. They can’t get it too wrong, no matter where you are.
The brands that best represent my style are…
Uniqlo, which I’m currently working with. I’ve been a fan for over a decade – I started buying from the Jil Sander collaboration. The quality is superb for the price and it has fantastic basics. And I love second-hand and vintage shopping – Resee has a beautifully curated selection. I look for early YSL and Chanel, and wear a lot from my years at Chloé and Givenchy.
My most used beauty product is…
SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 serum, and La Mer lip balm.
And Dr Jart face masks are brilliant.
The object I’ d never part with is…
the horse in my bedroom. It’s a plaster copy of a museum piece and it’s about two-feet high. I bought it in Florence and had it driven home in a van. I absolutely love it, and every time we move house, I’m terrified it will be smashed. When the kids have friends over, they warn them: ‘Don’t go near the horse!’ The thing is, it wasn’t even particularly expensive.
I’m always on the hunt for…
an interesting flat shoe. My last purchase was a Gucci mule, but now I’m searching for a cross between a ballerina and a loafer. The Frankie Shop is a good place to look.
My style icon is…
Gloria Steinem, for her feminism and her amazing collection of eyewear.
The fashion find I dream of is…
a vintage Chanel jacket from the Seventies when Coco Chanel was still there. I long for a black one – they’re very hard to find.
The piece of jewellery that means the most is…
my mother’
